Time Swap
by GwenOwenforever
Summary: Tosh and Ianto suddenly find themselves transported to Camelot with Arthur and Merlin taken back to Cardiff in their place. Can the Torchwood team fix the swap?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of these amazing Torchwood or Merlin characters.

**A/N:** I've set this before series two of Merlin so Morgana's not aware of her powers and Gwen and Arthur haven't discovered their feelings for each other.

There was silence in the Hub. It was one of those rare days where nothing seemed to be happening apart from the occasional blip on the rift monitor. Even then it was too small for there to be anything to worry about.

Jack was sat in his office making paper planes out of scrap paper, much to Ianto's annoyance. Gwen was flicking through a magazine she'd bought a long time ago and drawing funny things on people's faces, while Owen sat next to her doing a crossword and occasionally looking over her shoulder and laughing at what she'd done. Ianto was sat on the small sofa, twiddling his thumbs as he hummed the James Bond theme tune.

Only Toshiko seemed to be doing something productive. She was examining a piece of technology that had fallen through the rift weeks ago and it was bugging her because she still hadn't worked out what it did or where it was from.

"Hey Ianto, catch." Jack called as he threw a plane out of his office.

Ianto watched it sail past and land in the water at the base of the central column.

"Jack." Ianto groaned.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"That's the third one I've had to fish out of there." He replied. "Not to mention the one I had to retrieve from Myfanwy's cage before she ate it and choked on it."

"Oh come on Ianto. Relax a little, how often do we get a day like this?" Jack pouted.

"Relax? I almost had my hand bitten off by an angry pteranodon. Which reminds me Jack, stop giving her alcohol, it puts her in a terrible mood the next day." Ianto scolded.

"But it's fun." He shrugged. "Have you never seen a drunk pterodactyl? It's hilarious."

"Oh I have to see that." Owen grinned.

"Fine, you can look after her the next day then." Ianto told him.

"Erm, yeah...maybe not." Owen nodded.

Jack sighed as he got up and wandered out to join the rest of them.

"Have you got any further with that?" He asked Toshiko.

"No." She answered. "I just know it's definitely alien. There's these little marks along the sides I'm guessing is writing but I don't have this language on record."

Ianto walked over and picked up the device.

"Is it dangerous?" He asked.

"I don't think so. I've pressed the button on the top a million times and nothing's happened yet." She told him.

He rolled it around in his hands, admiring the detail.

"Hey, does anyone know the answer to this?" Owen asked. "Famous castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur, seven letters beginning with 'C'."

"Camelot." Tosh and Ianto said at the same time.

"That's it." Owen said.

"I used to love reading stories about King Arthur and Merlin." Ianto smiled as he remembered. A light flashed on the machine and Ianto's thumb hovered over the button. "Hey, it's doing something."

"It's never done that before. Maybe this time something will happen if you press the button." Tosh suggested.

Ianto looked to Jack for his consent. The Captain nodded and Ianto took a deep breath as he pressed the button down with his thumb.

Suddenly a bright white flash filled the room causing Jack, Gwen and Owen to shield their eyes. A harsh wind whipped up around them, blowing papers around the room.

"Tosh! Ianto!" Gwen shouted. The loud whooshing sounds of the wind must have drowned her out as they heard no reply from the two team mates. The wind dropped as suddenly as it arrived. Gwen was the first to uncover her eyes. She gasped at the sight in front of her. "Erm...Jack..."

Jack and Owen looked up and their eyes widened.

"What the hell?" Jack gasped.

Tosh and Ianto had disappeared and in their place was a young blond haired man in medieval armour, clutching the handle of the sword at his side, and what appeared to be his servant boy. Both were looking back at the team, their eyes wide with fright.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well done Merlin, I think that's the least amount of mistakes you've made putting on my armour." Arthur told Merlin.

"Mistakes? What mistakes?" Merlin asked.

"You're still forgetting that one important thing." Arthur replied. Merlin frowned as he glanced over Arthur's armour. "My sword Merlin. How many times have you done this now?"

"I'm sorry Sire, it won't happen again." He promised, placing Arthur's sword at his side.

"That's what you said the last time." Arthur said. A knock sounded from the door causing the Prince and Merlin to turn towards it. "Enter." The door opened to reveal the Lady Morgana and Guinevere. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Can't a lady visit her friends without a purpose behind it?" Morgana asked. "Have we caught you at a bad time?"

"No. Merlin was just brushing up on his technique at dressing me in my armour." Arthur answered.

"I'm useless at it apparently." Merlin commented.

"Merlin, you're useless at everything." Arthur told him.

"Well I think he's wonderful." Morgana smiled. Merlin grinned and stuck out his chest proudly. "He's brought out the best in you. Don't you think Guinevere?"

"Oh yes, my Lady." She nodded.

The Prince rolled his eyes as he sat down at his table.

Morgana stepped over to the window and looked out over the courtyard.

She did have a reason for coming but it was one she couldn't explain, even to herself. She'd had a nightmare about Arthur and Merlin. An evil white light took Arthur and Merlin from this world, never to be seen again. Anyone would have told her that these were just silly nightmares but she knew that wasn't true. Something was happening to her, she just didn't know what.

Outside, she saw Uther walk out onto his balcony and below him, the executioner dragging out a struggling man.

"Arthur, did you know your father was having someone executed today?" She asked.

"No, he usually announces an execution." Arthur frowned as he joined Morgana. "This man must have done something terrible for my father to execute him like this."

"He could be innocent." Morgana argued.

"My father will have a reason for this." He told her.

"Your father doesn't always see reason. If Uther suspects magic, he doesn't listen to anyone – even the innocent." She said.

"Magic is dangerous." He argued.

"Not all people who practice magic are evil. What about the druid boy? You helped him escape didn't you?" She pointed out.

"That was different. He was...he was just a boy." He shrugged.

"So if he was older it would be different, even though he'd done nothing wrong?" She asked.

"Yes...no..." Arthur sighed and walked away. "It's complicated."

Morgana stepped away from the window, not wanting to witness the execution. Guinevere gave her a small smile as she stood by her side.

"Guinevere, I feel like taking a stroll out in the fresh air. Would you accompany me?" She smiled.

"I'd love to." Gwen answered.

"Arthur, Merlin." Morgana said, nodding to each of them.

Merlin bowed slightly as the ladies turned to leave the room.

The room started to shake causing them all to freeze. Gwen and Morgana clung onto each other as their eyes darted around the room. The windows shattered into a million tiny pieces and a harsh wind whipped around the room. The curtains billowed into the room, almost tearing from their hangings.

"Merlin, escort the ladies out of the room. Now." Arthur shouted, gripping his sword.

But it was too late.

A bright light flashed and crackled like a bolt of lightning.

Then suddenly, everything went quiet. Morgana looked up in fright. Arthur and Merlin were gone, just like in her dream, but in their place was another man and a woman. The woman glanced up at the man before looking at them in shock.


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur looked at each of the three people in front of him. When his eyes fell on Gwen, his eyes widened and he pulled out his sword.

"Lady Helen." He hissed. "What sorcery have you committed this time?"

Gwen jumped out of her chair and backed away as Arthur started to advance. Owen jumped between them and held his hand out to stop him.

"You want to put that thing away mate." He growled.

"Step aside, this woman is an evil witch. She tried to kill me once but she will not succeed a second time." Arthur said.

"I'm not a witch." Gwen told him.

"And I am no fool." He shouted, shoving Owen to the side.

"I swear I'm not." She cried.

Merlin closed his eyes and focused all his powers. He felt the room for any signs of magic and found none. Quickly, he opened his eyes and stepped up.

"Sire, she's telling the truth." Merlin shouted.

"How can you be sure?" Arthur asked.

"I...I just know." He answered.

Arthur stared at Gwen for a few seconds before putting his sword away. He bowed his head and took her hand as he got down on one knee.

"I'm sorry my Lady, I am mistaken. You must forgive me." He said. "You bear a resemblance to a witch that once tried to take my life."

"I look like an old hag?" Gwen frowned.

"Well..." Owen mumbled.

She shot him a glare before looking back at the man in front of her.

"No, the hag murdered one of our most beautiful and talented singers and took on her form as a disguise. You share her beauty." Arthur explained. "You understand my accusations I hope."

"I understand." She smiled. "I can forgive a man as handsome and charming as you."

"Thank you." Arthur smiled, kissing her hand.

Gwen blushed and giggled as he stood up, his blue eyes glittering as he looked into hers. Owen cleared his throat, breaking them out of their trance.

"Yeah, sorry but who are you?" He asked.

"I am Prince Arthur Pendragon and this is my manservant Merlin." Arthur introduced.

Merlin smiled and waved at them.

"Hi." He said.

"Arthur...and Merlin...from Camelot?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Arthur nodded.

"It's...great to meet you. I'm Captain Jack Harkness and this is Gwen Cooper and Owen Harper." Jack told him.

The two newcomers looked around the Hub, taking in all the machinery.

Merlin poked at a button on one of the monitors turning it off. He jumped back in surprise and Arthur once again made a grab for his sword.

"What is this place?" He demanded.

"You're in Cardiff. This is our Hub, we're Torchwood." Jack answered. "It's best you don't know too much."

"How did we get here?" He asked.

"Good question." Jack said. "I don't know."

"Wait a minute, Ianto was talking about Camelot and Arthur and Merlin before him and Tosh disappeared." Gwen pointed out.

"Yeah." Owen nodded. "Then that machine started flashing and when they activated it, they were gone."

"It must have been some sort of transport device." Jack realised. "Ianto gave it a place and that's where it took them. But why bring these two here?"

"Maybe in order to go somewhere, you have to swap places with someone else." Gwen suggested. "The machine must have thought this is what Ianto wanted."

"So, Ianto and Toshiko are in Camelot and Arthur and Merlin have been brought here." Jack nodded.

"So your companions have taken our place?" Arthur frowned.

"What a surprise Gwen and Morgana will get." Merlin commented.

"The ladies, your companions will not harm them will they?" Arthur asked.

"No, they'll be safe don't worry." Jack reassured him.

"Jack, how do we get them all back?" Owen asked.

"I'm guessing if Toshiko and Ianto do the same as they did before, it'll bring them back here and take Arthur and Merlin home." Jack answered.

Gwen pressed the button on her comms unit and bit her lip as she heard nothing but the crackling signal.

"Yeah...Jack, we might have a problem...we can't get in touch with them." She said.

"What about their mobiles?" Owen suggested.

"You think they'll have a signal in medieval times?" Gwen asked sarcastically.

"It was just a suggestion." He shrugged.

"Let's just hope they figure it out." Jack sighed as he watched Arthur and Merlin examining the computer. "The other problem is..." Arthur poked his sword into one of the sockets and jumped back startled as sparks emitted from it and an electric current shot through his arm. "Where do we put these two while we wait?"

"I'll take them to the safe house." Gwen said quickly, eyeing Arthur's back. "I don't mind staying with them and looking after them."

"Yeah but your boyfriend does." Owen said loudly.

"We can't just leave them there on their own." She argued. "They don't know what they're doing in the modern world, look at them."

Merlin picked up a computer mouse and tipped it upside-down. He lifted it to his face and closed the one eye as he shone the red light into the other one.

"Aagh." He shouted as it blinded him and dropped it.

Merlin clutched his bad eye as he scowled at the mouse.

"Alright then, I'll come with you." Owen nodded.

"I'll be fine on my own." She insisted.

"You just want to be alone with Arthur so you can make a move." Owen said.

"What? No, of course not. I'm with you, why would I do that?" She asked.

"Because he's out of his time, vulnerable, handsome -"

"Yeah he is a bit." She mumbled.

Owen raised an eyebrow at her and she blushed, snapping out of her daydream quickly.

"Fine, come with me." She shrugged.

"Ok then, that's settled. Jack, Gwen and I will take care of Arthur and Merlin." Owen said.

"Ok." Jack nodded. "And it might be a good idea to get them some modern clothes, they'll stick out a mile in those."

"We'll sort it." Owen told him.

"I just hope Ianto and Toshiko will be shown the same hospitality." Jack sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

Morgana grabbed for the dagger she kept at her side and pointed it at Tosh and Ianto.

"My Lady." Gwen gasped.

"Gwen, get behind me." She ordered. Guinevere did as she was told and peered over Morgana's shoulder in fright. "Who are you and what have you done with Arthur and Merlin?"

"I'm Ianto Jones and this is Toshiko Sato." Ianto said. "And I promise you we haven't done anything with your friends."

"Then where are they?" She demanded.

"I don't know. Please, we don't mean you any harm." He told them. "We can bring them back, we just need your help. Just please put the knife down."

Morgana lowered the dagger slowly and nodded.

"Thank you." Toshiko whispered.

"Do you think it's wise?" Gwen whispered to Morgana.

"I don't know." She said honestly, turning to her maid. "But something's telling me we can trust these people." She turned back to the two strangers. "Can you really bring them back?"

"If you help us figure out what happened." Toshiko answered. "Do you mind answering a few questions?"

"Of course." She nodded.

"Where are we?" Ianto asked.

"Camelot, of course." She laughed.

"Camelot? Really?" He asked excitedly. "I've always wanted to see it for myself. I've read so much about it and the drawings I've seen are -"

"Ianto!" Tosh interrupted. "I think we have more important things to be thinking about."

"Yes, you're right." Ianto nodded, clearing his throat. "Sorry."

"Before your friends – Arthur and Merlin was it?" She asked. Morgana nodded. "Before Arthur and Merlin disappeared, what happened?"

"The room began to shake and this terrible wind just suddenly appeared. There was a flash of light and then...they were gone and you were in their place." Morgana explained.

"Camelot...Arthur...Merlin. They were all things you mentioned before pressing the button on the device." Toshiko said to Ianto.

Ianto looked down at the device still in his hand.

"This thing, it must have brought us here." Ianto said.

"And swapped us with Arthur and Merlin." She nodded. "Which means they're -"

"Back at the Hub." Ianto finished. They looked over at Morgana and Gwen to find them staring back in curiosity and slight confusion. "They're in safe hands, they're with our friends."

"Ianto try telling it we want to go back to Cardiff and to swap us back with Arthur and Merlin." Tosh suggested.

"Ok. Erm...take us home to Cardiff and return Arthur and Merlin back to Camelot." He said.

The two looked down at the device and waited. Nothing happened. Ianto tried it again but still nothing happened.

"Maybe it needs time to recharge." She shrugged.

"And what are we supposed to do until it's ready?" Ianto asked.

"I don't know." She answered.

"My Lady, what are we going to tell Uther? He's going to notice Arthur's gone." Gwen said.

"Uther must not find out about this." Morgana told her firmly.

"Hang on, are we talking about _Prince_ Arthur?" Ianto frowned. "That's not good. We've just made the Prince of Camelot disappear."

"Which is why we can't tell Uther. If he finds out, he'll accuse you of sorcery and have you executed." Morgana said.

"But we haven't committed sorcery." Tosh protested. "We're innocent."

"Uther won't see it like that. For now, if he asks, Arthur's gone on a hunting trip and if he sees you...you're old friends from a nearby village." She replied. "How long do you think it will take for that...box thing to...work?"

"Hopefully it should be ready by tomorrow." Tosh answered.

"Ok, then we'll find you somewhere to stay until then." She nodded.

"They can stay with me." Guinevere suggested. "I...have the house to myself now so there's more space."

"If you're sure." Morgana nodded.

"Yes, it's fine." She answered.

Morgana noticed for the first time the clothes they were wearing. Her eyes widened at the sight of a woman in trousers.

"Guinevere, could you find them something more appropriate to wear?" She asked.

"Of course." She smiled.

"Guinevere?" Ianto frowned.

"Yes Sire, but you can call me Gwen if you like." She told him.

"But I thought...never mind." He said.

Gwen's brow furrowed as she left the room.

"Thank you." Toshiko said. "You don't have to do this for us."

"You're the ones that can bring back Arthur and Merlin." Morgana said.

Toshiko and Ianto shared a look with each other that said 'hopefully'. They had no idea if this was going to work.


	5. Chapter 5

Driving Arthur and Merlin to the safe house in the SUV was an interesting event. It took some persuading to get them inside.

When Owen started the engine, Arthur gripped the edge of the seat and leant forward to look out of his window. Gwen couldn't help but laugh as he head butted the glass.

They hadn't gone far when she turned to look back and saw Merlin sat with his back pressed up against the seat, his eyes closed. His face slowly started to turn green.

"Erm...Owen, I think you should pull over." Gwen said. Owen glanced in the mirror at Merlin and pulled over quickly. "Merlin, do you want to get out?" She asked gently.

He nodded quickly without opening his eyes. Gwen got out and opened his door for him. He forgot to undo his seatbelt and almost strangled himself as he tried to get out. She helped him out and led him to the side of the pavement to lean against a wall. He took a few deep breaths and fought the urge to be sick.

"Stop being such a wimp Merlin." Arthur called from the car.

"I'm sorry Sire." He mumbled.

Gwen walked back over to the drivers side of the car as Owen wound the window down.

"Look, Owen why don't you take Arthur in the car. I'll walk the rest of the way with Merlin." She said.

"Probably a good idea." Owen nodded as Merlin threw up against the wall. "We'll see you there." He kissed her on the lips and winked. "Love you."

"Love you too." She smiled, pecking him on the lips one last time before stepping back. She waved as Owen drove off and went to stand back with Merlin. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah...yeah, fine." He whispered.

"Ready to get walking?" She asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry about..." He said, gesturing to the side.

"Don't worry about it." She smiled. "You're not used to travelling in the back of a car." They started walking to the safe house and he started to feel a little better. "I always thought Merlin was a sorcerer with a long white beard."

"I don't have a beard." He laughed, then added quickly. "And I'm no sorcerer."

He wasn't watching where he was going and stepped out onto the road in front of a car.

"Merlin!" Gwen shouted.

He whipped around and pointed his hand towards the car, muttering words under his breath. The car came to an immediate stop, inches from hitting him. Gwen and the driver stared wide-eyed at him as he looked between the two.

The driver shook his head and swerved around him.

"I – I – it wasn't -" Merlin sighed and let his shoulders drop. "Please don't tell Arthur. If he finds out, I'll be executed."

"Why?" She asked. They started walking again as Merlin explained about Uther banning magic from Camelot. "I won't tell him, I promise."

"Thank you." He said.

Owen glanced in the mirror at Arthur and found him staring back.

"So...you're a Prince. I bet that's fun." Owen said.

"It has it's advantages." Arthur replied. "But there is also a lot of responsibility that comes with it."

"Oh, yeah of course." Owen nodded quickly.

"So you and Gwen, are you married?" Arthur asked.

"Me and Gwen? Married?" Owen laughed. "No, we're together but we're not married. Maybe in a year or two, see how things go."

"Shame, she's an amazing woman." Arthur said.

"Yeah, she is." Owen smiled. "Well, here we go." He pulled up outside the safe house and turned off the engine. "It's not as grand as a castle but it's the best we have to offer."

He let Arthur into the house while they waited for Gwen and Merlin to join them.

The front door opened an hour later and they heard someone entering.

"Only us." Gwen called as she entered the room. Owen frowned at the bags she was carrying and the ones Merlin held when he followed her in. He was also holding two large pizza boxes across his arms. "I took Merlin shopping for some clothes for them both and I got some take-out pizza for us all."

"Arthur, you have to go shopping it's amazing. The doors open on their own and the stairs move." Merlin laughed.

Gwen put the bags down and giggled at him. Owen pulled her to one side and out of earshot of the others.

"How are we meant to keep these two low profile when they act like this?" He whispered.

"I've checked and there's no one else staying here at the minute so they'll be fine here. We'll just have to...keep our eyes on them when they go out." She answered.

"I hope Tosh and Ianto fix this soon." He mumbled.

She rolled her eyes and went back over to Arthur and Merlin.

"Who's hungry?" She asked.

"Starving." Merlin answered.

Gwen grabbed the pizza boxes and opened them both on the table.

The smell hit Arthur causing his stomach to growl. He looked down at the strange substance. He watched Gwen pull a slice off and take a bite out of it. Merlin and Arthur glanced at each other before copying her. When he bit into it, some of the cheese dripped down his chin and burnt him. He gasped and wiped it away quickly.

"Sorry, should have warned you about that." Gwen said.

Once his chin had stopped burning, he moved the bite of pizza around in his mouth. The flavour was strange but it was rather enjoyable. When he looked over at Merlin, he saw that he too was enjoying this new food.

"You didn't by any chance buy any beers did you?" Owen asked.

"Yes I did." Gwen sighed and handed him a bottle. She passed one each to Merlin and Arthur before realising they'd more than likely never had bottled beer. "You...need a bottle opener to open that." She said as Arthur examined the cap. "Owen, go see if there's one in the kitchen."

Owen disappeared and came back with a bottle opener in his hand. He opened their bottles for them and sat beside Gwen.

"This should be fun." He smirked.

After only two bottles, Merlin felt light headed and he found himself very giggly. Arthur was swaying slightly in his chair and frowning as he tried to focus his eyes on a spot on the floor.

"I think that's enough." Gwen said, putting down her own empty bottle amongst the empty pizza boxes. Merlin suddenly slumped forward in his chair, snoring loudly. "And I think that means it's time for bed. Owen, help me get these two to bed."

Owen supported Arthur while Gwen held Merlin up and led them to one of the rooms.

Merlin woke up as he was sat down on the edge of a bed.

"What's happening?" He mumbled.

"You're...erm...a bit drunk." She told him. "It's probably better if you didn't mention this to Jack. He won't be too happy about it."

"Won't say a word. Nope. Not me." Merlin giggled.

"Ok...if you can manage, here's some pyjamas you can change into." She said, handing a pair to each of them. "Well, goodnight and we'll see you in the morning."

"Night." Merlin called.

Arthur waved lazily and hiccuped.

"Jack's going to kill us." Owen told Gwen as they headed to another room.

Merlin lay back on his bed after changing into the pyjamas Gwen had given him. His trousers were on backwards and the shirt buttoned up wrong due to the strange dizzy feeling he was experiencing. He'd also managed to change Arthur like he usually did when they were at the castle.

The Prince was currently snoring away in his own bed.

Home felt so far away and he started to miss it and his friends. This place was so noisy with it's cars passing by and people walking past in a similar state to how he was. He could hear Gwen and Owen talking and laughing loudly in another room. When he glanced out of the window, he couldn't see the stars.

Back in Camelot, he'd lie looking out at the stars through his window as he drifted off to sleep. The only sounds he'd hear were Gaius' snores from the next room. Camelot was beautiful and the air sweet and clean. Here it was grey and the air was thick with something he'd never seen before.

The only good thing about this place were the people he'd met. Gwen seemed friendly and she'd been kind when he'd been unwell earlier. In some ways she reminded him of Guinevere with her warm heart and friendly smile. Owen was alright too. He was a bit arrogant like Arthur was when they first met but he knew if he'd get to know him better, he'd see a different side to him. He hadn't seen enough of Jack to form an opinion.

It took a while but eventually he managed to fall asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Guinevere handed Toshiko and Ianto the clothes. They'd returned to Morgana's room after deciding it would be too risky if they were all caught in Arthur's.

"They're the best I could find. I think they'll fit." She told them.

"Thank you." Tosh smiled.

"Tosh can change here. Gwen, why don't you take Ianto back to Arthur's room. Bring him back here when he's done though." Morgana said.

"Yes my Lady." She nodded and led Ianto out of the room.

Morgana smiled and gestured for Tosh to go behind the screen. She turned her back to it as she started to change.

"Ianto and yourself, are you from the future?" Morgana asked.

"Sort of." Tosh answered.

"Sort of?" Morgana laughed. "What do you mean by sort of? And how do you know so much about us?"

"Well...where I come from, Camelot is sort of a legend. King Arthur, Merlin, Sir Lancelot and the knights of the round table, they're all stories." She explained.

"Arthur isn't king yet." Morgana frowned. "And the knights of what table?"

"The round table." Tosh said. "I'm probably saying too much already. Ever since Jack and I went back to world war two, he's always told us to watch what we say if it happens again. You could change the course of history with one little word."

"You say the funniest things." Morgana laughed.

Tosh walked out from behind the screen, now changed into a lilac, floor length dress with long sleeves.

"How do I look?" She asked.

"Perfect." Morgana smiled.

Ianto and Gwen returned minutes later. The brown trousers, red shirt and brown jacket suited him. If Tosh hadn't have known better, she would have thought he was from Camelot.

"You look beautiful Tosh." He said.

"Thanks." She giggled.

"We need to get rid of our comms." Ianto said as he spotted Tosh still wearing hers.

"What do we do with them?" She asked as she took it off. "And this?"

She held up the device that had brought them there.

Morgana turned and searched in one of her drawers.

"Here, take this. It should be big enough to put them in and no one would get suspicious of what's inside." She said, handing Toshiko a lilac pouch to match her dress.

Morgana was right, anyone who saw it would just think it was an ordinary ladies pouch.

Tosh placed the device inside along with her and Ianto's comms.

"I'm lucky I don't have my laptop with me again." Tosh joked.

Ianto chuckled whilst Gwen stared at them with her eyebrows raised.

"I've learnt to just smile and nod." Morgana whispered to her.

"My Lady, we ran into Gaius on the way back. He was looking for Merlin." She told her.

"What did you tell him?" Morgana asked.

"That he'd gone with Arthur on the hunting trip and they weren't sure when they'd be coming back." Gwen answered.

"Good." Morgana nodded. "I hope they return soon. I don't know how long we'll be able to pull this off. Uther is bound to get suspicious sooner or later."

"We'll be fine." Gwen said.

"I'm due to have dinner with Uther soon. Will you be ok to look after our guests?" She asked.

"Of course." She nodded. "I'll take them home now and get them something to eat."

"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow." Morgana said.

"But, what about tonight? I need to help you get ready." Gwen protested.

"I can look after myself for one night Guinevere." She laughed.

"If you're sure." She said.

"Yes, now go." Morgana smiled. She turned to Ianto and Tosh. "Sleep well and I hope we can make your stay here as comfortable as we can."

"Thank you my Lady." Ianto smiled, bowing his head.

Guinevere led them to her home and thankfully no one seemed to notice the two new comers.

"Please make yourself at home." She said as they entered the small house. "I'm afraid I don't have anything quite as grand to eat as you'd find at the castle so it's smoked pigeon for tea."

Toshiko and Ianto glanced each other quickly. Tosh spotted the worried look on Gwen's face and smiled quickly.

"That'll be lovely." She said.

They sat around the table once the dinner was cooked. Gwen watched them nervously as they ate their first bite.

Ianto rolled the food around his mouth. It had a slightly stringy texture but it wasn't bad. It tasted like a cross between chicken and bacon.

"It's delicious." He told Gwen.

Tosh nodded and smiled. Gwen breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed as she tucked into her own meal.

It wasn't filling but they felt it would be rude to ask for something else. They could clearly see Guinevere didn't have a lot to her name and they didn't want to offend her after she'd been so kind to them.

"If you'd like to wash, I can fetch a bucket of water from the well." She told them.

"It's fine, we'll go." Ianto offered.

"I really don't mind. I have to fetch some water to drink anyway." Guinevere said and quickly jumped up.

"We don't mind going." Toshiko told her.

"No, it's fine. I'll go." Gwen said but smiled gratefully at them. "Thank you for offering."

When she left, Tosh turned to Ianto.

"Guinevere and Morgana have been welcoming but I can't wait to go home and have a proper meal and a proper bath." She said.

"It's times like these when you realise just how much you take everything for granted." Ianto commented.

"It's true." She sighed.

Gwen returned minutes later with two buckets of water, one for washing and one for drinking water.

"Ladies first." Ianto smiled and went to sit outside while the ladies took their wash.

Once they'd finished, they swapped places so Ianto could have his turn.

Soon, they were all sat around a crackling fire Gwen had made in the grate. The warmth of the fire and the strange quietness from outside started to make them both sleepy.

"You can decide amongst yourselves who will take the bed." Gwen said.

"No, Gwen we really must insist on you taking the bed." Ianto told her.

"You are my guests. I want you to be comfortable." She argued.

"Please, you've done so much for us already. We don't want to take advantage of you." Tosh said. "Ianto and I will be fine on the floor."

Gwen tried to argue but they wouldn't back down.

She found them some spare blankets and helped them find a comfortable spot to sleep. Bidding them a good night, she turned and went to get herself ready for bed.

"Do you really think we'll be able to get home and Arthur and Merlin back?" Ianto asked Tosh quietly.

She looked away and didn't answer as she lay down on the floor and pulled the blanket tight around her. Ianto nodded slightly and did the same.


	7. Chapter 7

When Merlin woke up the next morning, his head was pounding. He looked over as he heard Arthur groan.

The Prince sat up, clutching his own head. It seemed he'd forgotten where he was as he jumped up and searched frantically for his sword.

"Sire, it's alright." Merlin called and immediately regretted it as it sounded ten times louder.

"Merlin, do you have to shout?" Arthur groaned.

"I'm sorry." He replied.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"Don't you remember? We're in Cardiff." Merlin answered.

"Ah yes...I remember." He mumbled. They heard sizzling from the other room and a strange smell wafted through. "I know what that is..." Arthur said, taking a deep breath. "I'd recognise that smell anywhere. It's pork."

He stumbled as he made his way out of the room. Merlin slowly followed him, rubbing his eyes and yawning widely.

"Morning boys." Gwen smiled as they entered the kitchen. "Sausage, bacon and eggs for breakfast. Owen's taking a shower at the minute but when he comes out, one of you can jump in."

"Shower?" Arthur frowned.

"Oh, it's another way of washing instead of a bath. You stand under this...thing and the water's sort of...sprayed down on you." She explained. "It's hard to explain how it all works. You'll see."

"Sounds interesting." Merlin said as he sat down at the table and held his head in his hands.

Arthur collapsed into the chair beside him and did the same.

She knew the symptoms well after suffering many hangovers herself. She searched the kitchen cupboards and found some paracetamol and poured them both a glass of water.

"Here, take these. It'll help with the headache." She told them. "It's paracetamol. Just pop it in your mouth and swallow with some water."

Arthur rolled the little white pill between his fingers before doing as she'd said. Merlin watched him closely then did the same.

While they were eating their breakfast, Owen entered the room now showered and changed.

"Gwen, that smells amazing." He said as he sat at the table. "I knew there was a reason why I loved you."

She hit him on the arm as she placed his breakfast in front of him. He winked at her and smiled, pulling her down for a kiss.

"Eat up you." She said, a fond smile on her lips. Arthur put his knife and fork down and reached for his glass of water. "Was it ok?"

"It was perfect, thank you." He nodded.

"Good. Shower's free now if you want to wash." She said. "Bathroom's second door on the right."

He got up from the table and followed Gwen's directions.

When he entered the room, he closed the door and looked around. He glanced over the strange white objects in the room and chose to ignore them. They were just more confusing things he didn't understand and he hated not understanding things.

He spotted the thing that looked like what Gwen had described and moved towards it. There was a strange handle on the wall and when he turned it, water started to pour down on him. He jumped out quickly as it soaked through the clothes he didn't remember putting on. He shed them quickly and stepped under the water.

The hot water felt good pounding on his back, massaging out the knots in his muscles. He spotted some coloured liquid in bottles on a shelf. Taking one off, he read the label.

"Shampoo." He read.

He opened the lid and sniffed the contents. After reading the smaller print on the bottle, he squirted a huge blob onto his hand and slapped it into his hair. He hissed as some dripped down into his eye. He splashed water into it and rubbed at it furiously. The rubbing made it worse, making his eye burn. He moved his hand away and let the water run over it. It started to ease off so he continued to rub the shampoo into his hair.

After experimenting with the rest of the bottles, he stepped out of the shower and out of the bathroom. He froze when he heard someone gasp. Gwen was stood in front of him, her eyes wide and her face bright red. She covered her eyes and looked away. He tried to cover himself up as best as he could. She ran into the bathroom and came out with a towel. She threw it at him, her eyes still covered.

"Erm – t-t-towel. You should – cover up." She mumbled before scurrying away.

Arthur wrapped the towel around his waist quickly and went back to the room he woke up in.

Gwen peeked her head back round as he went and raised an eyebrow as she smirked. That was a sight she could wake up to.

Arthur sat on the bed and rubbed his face with his hands. His head had stopped pounding and his vision had returned to normal.

Merlin entered the room carrying clothes.

"Gwen sent these in for us." He told Arthur. "We guessed your size when we bought them."

"Remind me to thank her." Arthur said. "Help me into these...things."

Once they'd dressed, they joined Owen and Gwen back in the kitchen. Gwen blushed as she looked at Arthur and dropped her gaze quickly. Arthur couldn't look her in the eye and Owen frowned as he looked between the two of them.

"Jack said it might be best if we take them back to the Hub." She said quietly. "We can't have them disappearing in public."

"That would take a huge amount of retcon." Owen nodded. "Which reminds me, is Jack going to retcon these two before they leave?"

"We don't even know _when_ they're going to leave, so Jack can hardly retcon them before." She pointed out. "Plus, if we retconned these two, we'd have to retcon whoever Tosh and Ianto meet and they don't have the amnesia pill with them."

"Right." Owen said. "So, we're just going to let them go back and tell everyone about Torchwood?"

"We won't tell anyone if you don't want us to." Merlin interrupted.

"See, we can trust them." She argued.

"Alright then. I guess we'll have to seeing as there's nothing we can do about it." Owen shrugged.

"Come on, we'd better be going back to the Hub." Gwen sighed.

As they walked outside, Merlin eyed the SUV nervously. He hadn't forgotten what happened the last time he was in it.

"Erm...I'm alright walking. I reckon I know the way back." He called.

"Merlin, get in. Now." Arthur ordered.

"No it's alright." Gwen said. "I'll walk with you again."

Merlin smiled gratefully at Gwen as she smiled back.

"See you at the Hub then." Owen said.

They set off on their separate ways back to the Hub.

Jack greeted them all with a smile when they arrived.

"It's good to see you both again." He smiled to Merlin and Arthur.

"Jack, have you found a way of getting in touch with Tosh and Ianto?" Gwen asked.

"Not yet." Jack answered. "To be honest, I don't think we'll be able to. Why?"

"Well, we can't send them back looking like that." Gwen pointed out. "If we could somehow communicate with Tosh and Ianto, we could find out when they're going to come home and get these two ready to go back."

"But how? You said it yourself, they're not going to have a signal in Camelot. I doubt they had satellites back then." Jack said.

"There must be something we can do." She argued.

"What would you suggest?" He asked.

"I...I don't know." She sighed. "We don't even know if they're ok."

"They'll be fine." He reassured her.

"Jack, Merlin told me about Uther. If he saw Tosh and Ianto just appear out of nowhere and his son disappearing, he'll assume they performed some sort of magic and he'll execute them on the spot." She said.

"Gwen, don't worry about it. I'm sure they're fine." He said.

Owen placed a comforting arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Jack moved his wrist strap around his wrist and looked at Arthur and Merlin. They'd spotted Myfanwy swooping back to her cage and were watching her nervously.

As Jack continued to play with his strap, an idea formulated in his head. He quickly started tapping away at the buttons on it.

"What are you doing?" Owen asked.

"A long time ago, this wrist strap could be used to communicate with another. It would send a hologram to the person you wanted to communicate with, no matter where or when they were." He told them.

"Yeah, I can see a few problems there." Owen said. "One, neither of them has a wrist strap and two, I doubt they'll have anything that will receive holograms."

"No but I don't want to send them a hologram, I just want to talk to them. If I tap into their comms with this, I should be able to get through." He explained. Gwen and Owen watched anxiously as Jack continued to work. He glanced at each of them before bringing the wrist strap up to talk into it. "Tosh, Ianto can you hear me?" White noise crackled from the other end. "Tosh? Ianto? Are you there?"

They held their breaths as they waited.

"Jack?" Came a distorted voice. "Jack, it's Toshiko."


	8. Chapter 8

Toshiko's eyes fluttered open and she groaned as she rolled over. Her neck and back were aching terribly after sleeping on the draughty, cold stone floor. She pulled the blanket tighter around her as the cold morning air hit her.

As she sat up, she noticed Ianto also sitting up and rubbing his neck.

"Hey." He said sleepily.

"Morning." She replied. "How did you sleep?"

"It wasn't the best of nights." He answered. "You?"

"Same." She nodded.

Guinevere stepped over to them and smiled.

"Good morning." She said.

"Morning." Ianto smiled.

"Breakfast's ready." She told them.

She left them to pull themselves up in their own time. Tosh climbed to her feet and stretched, her joints clicking and muscles protesting. Ianto stumbled to his feet beside her and yawned.

"I could do with a full English right now." Ianto mumbled as his stomach growled. "And a decent cup of coffee."

"Unlikely in our current position." Tosh smiled.

They joined Gwen at the table and sat down. In front of each of them was a bowl of watery porridge.

Ianto stared down at it before reluctantly lifting his spoon to his lips. It was mostly water, thinned down he realised, to stretch between the three of them. He felt guilty for coming in and eating Gwen's food when she didn't have much for herself, never mind three. The occasional lump invaded his mouth and he tried not to grimace.

Toshiko politely finished her breakfast and watched Ianto struggling with his.

A knock sounded at the door causing them all to freeze. Guinevere slowly made her way to the door as the knocking continued.

"Gwen, it's me, Morgana." A voice called.

They breathed a sigh of relief as Gwen answered the door.

"My Lady." She smiled. "I'm sorry I wasn't there this morning."

"Don't worry about it." Morgana told her. "How are our guests?"

"Fine thank you." Ianto smiled.

"Good." Morgana smiled back. Her smile fell as she remembered her reason for visiting. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"What is it?" Gwen asked.

"Uther didn't buy the hunting trip story. He saw the damage done to Arthur's room and suspects sorcery. He's having the guards search the town for anyone acting suspicious." She told them. "I'm afraid of what will happen if he finds you."

"We need to get out of here and quick." Ianto said.

"But, the machine – I don't think it's ready." Tosh replied.

"We have to make it work." Ianto argued.

"Tosh, Ianto can you hear me?" A quiet voice asked. Everyone looked around for the source. "Tosh? Ianto? Are you there?"

"It's coming from the pouch." Morgana pointed.

Tosh grabbed for it and pulled out her comms. Gwen and Morgana watched as she put the device in her ear.

"Jack? Jack, it's Toshiko." She said.

"Tosh, the signal, it's breaking up." Jack replied. "We have to talk fast. Is the machine working?"

"We don't know. We tried to get back but nothing happened." She explained. "We think it needed twenty-four hours to recharge but Jack, we need to get out of here quick. Uther's looking for sorcerers he thinks kidnapped Arthur, it's not looking good for us."

"If it needs twenty-four hours, it won't be ready yet. Try pressing it at the exact time you did yesterday." Jack told them, his voice distorted and cracking up.

"We can't wait that long." Tosh said urgently.

"Just hang in there. There's nothing else we can do. Press it at five o'clock." Jack called.

The line went dead.

"Jack! Jack!" Tosh called. She turned to Ianto and they shared a frightened look. "How are we supposed to know what time to press it?"

"Don't worry about that, I'm good with timing." Ianto said. "The question is, how are we meant to stay out of Uther's sight?"

"We'll look after you." Morgana told him. "Uther's already had the castle searched, we can go back to my quarters. We have to hurry though before the guards come this way. They're searching the other end first but they're moving fast. Come on." She looked around the small house before looking at Gwen. "You need to get rid of all traces of them being here. You need to make sure it looks like it was just you here."

"Right away my Lady." Gwen nodded, turning to remove Tosh and Ianto's bowls from the table. As they went to leave, Gwen turned back to them. "Be careful."

Morgana nodded once before heading out the door.

"Thank you." Toshiko said and followed her out.

Ianto smiled to Gwen before doing the same.

As they ran towards the castle, they saw the guards coming up towards the houses nearer to them.

"Hurry." Morgana said urgently.

They quickened their pace, not even stopping for breath until they entered Morgana's room. She slammed the door shut behind them and leant against it, breathing heavily.

"That...was close." Ianto panted.


	9. Chapter 9

"Jack, if Uther's looking for them, they could be in big trouble." Gwen said as the line went dead.

"They're going to be fine." Jack told her again.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news." Arthur interrupted. "But, if my father doesn't find what he's looking for, he'll double his efforts and have the whole town searched again. He won't stop until he gets results."

Gwen's eyes widened as she looked at Jack.

"Morgana and Gwen will look after them though." Merlin added quickly. "They'll keep them safe. Won't they Arthur?"

"Yes of course." He nodded.

"Morgana hid a druid boy in her room for days without being caught and she helped us get him out of Camelot." Merlin told them.

"See, they're in safe hands." Jack said to Gwen.

"Ok." She nodded quietly. "If they're sure their friends will look after them, then...it's ok."

"So what do we do with these two until it's time?" Owen asked.

"What would you like to do?" Gwen asked Arthur and Merlin.

"Anything as long as it doesn't involve beer again." Arthur answered.

Jack raised an eyebrow and turned to Gwen and Owen. He folded his arms over his chest as he waited for an explanation.

"We just had a drink with our pizza." Gwen said. "We didn't mean for them to get drunk, honest."

"Yeah, they only had two bottles each." Owen told him.

"You were supposed to be looking after them, not getting them drunk." Jack scolded.

"We were looking after them. Gwen made them breakfast this morning." Owen said defensively.

Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"We really should get them ready to go back. The clothes they came in are back at the safe house, I'll go pick them up." Gwen said quickly and left the Hub.

Owen fidgeted uncomfortably under Jack's gaze.

"I've...got paperwork to do." He mumbled.

It was a lie but he'd say anything to get away from the look Jack was giving him.

When Gwen arrived back at the Hub, she was carrying Merlin and Arthur's things in a bag.

"Here we go." She said as she put the bags down.

"Did you remember my sword? My sword is very important." Arthur told her.

"Yes, I remembered your sword." She smiled.

They sat in the meeting room, listening to Arthur and Merlin's stories about Camelot.

Jack checked the time and nodded.

"It's almost time." He told them. "I'll take you somewhere you can change."

The five of them walked back to the workstation area, then Jack led Arthur and Merlin to the private rooms below.

"It's a shame they have to go back." Gwen sighed. "It's been fun."

"Yeah, it makes a change from aliens." Owen nodded.

Back in their original outfits, they returned to main area. Jack stood beside Gwen and admired Arthur as he twirled his sword around.

"I love a man in armour." He smirked.

"Not you too." Owen groaned.

"What?" Jack asked innocently. "He's hot."

"You should see him naked." Gwen mumbled. "Gorgeous."

Jack grinned and wriggled his eyebrows.

"And how would you know?" Owen demanded.

"He...I was walking past the bathroom and...he stepped out without a towel on." She explained, her face turning a deep shade of red. "It was an accident."

Owen rolled his eyes and huffed.

"Ok, no time for domestics." Jack said loudly. "Time to say your goodbyes." He stepped up to Merlin and Arthur and shook both their hands. "It's been great meeting you."

"And you." Arthur replied. "You have a...fascinating place."

Owen stepped up next and shook his hand, a little roughly.

"It's been...interesting." Owen said.

Gwen pulled Merlin into a hug causing the young warlock to blush.

"You take care ok." She smiled.

"I will. Thank you for putting up with us and thanks for not saying anything." He smiled back.

She winked at him before turning to Arthur.

"My Lady." Arthur said, bowing as he took her hand. He kissed it as he had done when they first met. "Thank you for your hospitality and I must apologise again for my rash accusations."

"It's fine, honestly." She laughed.

"Thirty seconds." Jack announced. "Tosh and Ianto should be activating the device any time now."

The three team members took a step back and waited. Arthur and Merlin braced themselves for what was to come. Jack looked down at his watch and counted down the seconds. Three. Two. One.

Nothing happened. The team looked at each other in silence.

A low rumbling sound startled them and it gradually grew louder. The Hub began to shake violently causing them all to stumble. Gwen clung to Owen and buried her face in his chest as a harsh wind blew around them. His arms wrapped around her protectively as he hid his face in her hair. Jack threw his arms over his face and squeezed his eyes shut.

Merlin and Arthur looked at each other in fright. The bright flash of light surrounded them and the wind took their breaths away.

Suddenly, everything was still and quiet.


	10. Chapter 10

A knock sounded on Morgana's door and she motioned quickly for Tosh and Ianto to hide.

"Behind the screen." She said. She waited until they were fully hidden before opening the door. "Guinevere." She breathed in relief. "Come in."

"I'm sorry for frightening you." Gwen apologised.

"You can come out, it's only Guinevere." Morgana called. Tosh and Ianto stepped out from behind the screen and joined the two women. "Have you heard anything from Uther and the guards?"

"They've searched my home and found nothing. Although, I did have to hide this from them." Gwen told them. She held up the pouch containing the machine and passed it to Tosh. "You left it on the table. Uther's guards have found nothing so they're doubling their efforts. They're searching the whole town again from top to bottom."

Another knock sounded on the door, this time urgent. Tosh and Ianto dived behind the screen once again.

When Morgana opened the door, she was greeted by Uther and four of his guards.

"My Lady Morgana, I'm sorry for the inconvenience but I will not rest until the sorcerers are found." He said.

"No, it's fine." She replied as she let the guards in. "But there's no need, it's just been Guinevere and I."

"I know, but I can't take any risks." He told her.

"Do you not trust me? Your own ward?" She laughed. "I would never deceive you, not after the last time. I've learnt my lesson."

He stared at her for a few seconds as she gave him her best innocent smile. He nodded and looked away.

"No, you're right." He said. "I'm sorry. Guards, move the search to the next room." The guards halted in their search and left the room as instructed. "I am deeply sorry."

"It's not your fault. I'm just as anxious to find Arthur as you. I'm sure if I was in your position, I'd do the same." Morgana told him.

Uther bowed his head as Morgana curtseyed before following his guards out of the room.

Once they heard the door click shut, Tosh and Ianto reappeared from behind the screen.

"The King's ward? You're the King's ward?" Ianto asked. "But if Uther finds out what's going on, you'll get into trouble."

"Don't worry about me." She said. "I'll be fine."

The time spent waiting for the device to be ready was spent in whispered conversations. They listened intently if they heard someone walk past, silence falling on the room each time.

Ianto glanced out of the window, then nodded to Tosh.

"It's time." He told her. The four of them stood and moved to the centre of the room. "Ladies, thank you for all you've done. You didn't need to put yourselves in danger for us but you did and for that, I'll be eternally grateful."

"Yes, thank you." Tosh smiled.

"It's been our pleasure." Morgana replied. "We wish you good luck."

Ianto took a deep breath as Tosh took the device from the pouch and handed it to him.

"Let's hope this works." He mumbled. "Ok...we'd like to go back to Cardiff, and could you bring Arthur and Merlin home...please."

He felt stupid as he said it. For a moment, nothing happened and they thought it wasn't going to work.

Then the light flashed and Ianto quickly pressed the button. Morgana gasped as the wind once again picked up. She held tightly onto Guinevere as the flash lit up the room.

Silence fell and all that could be heard were Morgana and Gwen's shaking breaths.


	11. Chapter 11

"Did it work?" Gwen whispered, not daring to move from her position.

Jack slowly moved his arms away from his face to take a look. He grinned and laughed when he saw Toshiko and Ianto smiling back at them. Hearing Jack's laugh, Owen peeked out from Gwen's hair and froze. Gwen slowly turned around to see for herself.

"It worked." Jack grinned.

"Oh God...Tosh...Ianto...you're safe." Gwen breathed.

She ran over to Toshiko and threw her arms around the smaller woman.

"It was close. Uther almost found us." Ianto told them. "We owe the Lady Morgana and Guinevere our lives for all they've done for us."

"They said they'd look after you." Jack smiled.

"Who?" Ianto asked as Gwen pulled him into a bone crushing hug.

"Arthur and Merlin. They told us Morgana and Guinevere would look after you." Gwen answered.

"Didn't I say they'd be fine?" Jack pointed out.

"Yes." She sighed.

"Now quit hogging them." Jack grinned as he stepped over to them. He pulled Tosh and Ianto into a hug against his chest and kissed both their heads. "I know you look ok but I want Owen to check you both over, make sure that thing didn't have any effects on you. By the way Ianto, that medieval look, so working for you."

Ianto rolled his eyes and followed Owen and Toshiko down into the autopsy bay.

The medic performed every test he thought necessary and came back with nothing.

"Nope. You're both right as rain." He told them. "That thing's harmless."

"Harmless yes, but I don't think we should use it again." Tosh said.

"That would be wise." Owen nodded. "How are you both feeling?"

"Nothing a good shower, shave, three course meal and a good cup of coffee wouldn't fix." Ianto answered.

Gwen and Jack joined them on the balcony.

"So what was it like?" Gwen asked.

"It was beautiful. The castle, the town, the clothes, it was all so beautiful." Tosh smiled.

"I wouldn't choose to live there though." Ianto commented. "Food's not so great."

"I liked the smoked pigeon." Tosh said. Owen wrinkled his nose. "The porridge wasn't so great but that wasn't Gwen's fault."

"No. It's not just that though." Ianto said. "Having to hide from Uther all day every day would get a bit annoying."

"Did he know you were there?" Jack asked.

"No, but he was looking for anyone that might have kidnapped his son. Two strangers would have been top of his list of suspects. Morgana hid us in her room and the guards were about to search it but she persuaded Uther to call them off." Ianto explained.

"She must be very important to him to be persuaded by her." Gwen said.

"She was his ward." Ianto nodded.

"And she still hid you from him?" Jack asked amazed. "Wow."

"Are we done here? I really need a shower and a decent nights sleep." Tosh told them.

"Go home." Jack smiled. Tosh and Ianto breathed a sigh of relief and left the autopsy bay. As Gwen and Owen went to leave, Jack stopped them. "Where do you think you're going? You're not done here."

"You just said go home." Owen said.

"I said Tosh and Ianto can go home. They've been stuck in medieval times, you two haven't. Besides it's punishment for getting our guests drunk." Jack told them.

They groaned as they made their way back to their workstations.

Toshiko stepped into her flat and smiled. Oh how good it was to be back. Her sofa looked so inviting but she ignored it and headed straight for the shower.

Ianto lifted the cup of coffee and breathed in it's aroma. He smiled and closed his eyes. Placing it to his lips, he sipped it and let the liquid flow down his throat.

"Oh that is good." He whispered.


	12. Chapter 12

Morgana stared, wide-eyed in disbelief at Merlin and Arthur stood in the centre of the room.

"They did it." She whispered.

Guinevere turned her head to look and gasped.

"Alright ladies." Merlin grinned.

Morgana laughed and hugged him tight. Merlin blushed as he hugged her back. She turned to Arthur and pulled him into a hug. She frowned as she pulled away.

"You smell strange." She told him. "A nice strange though."

"That would be the 'shower gel'." He said, trying to impress them.

"What?" She laughed.

"It's what they use to wash with." Arthur explained.

She shook her head and smiled.

Guinevere slowly stepped up to Merlin and smiled shyly.

"It's good to have you back." She told him.

"Thanks, it's great to be back." He grinned. "It was fun in the other world but it was so noisy. I missed the quiet and I missed my friends. There was a woman, Gwen, who reminded me of you and it made me think of you."

"Really?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Except she was more...and you're more...you know."

"No." She said, shaking her head in confusion.

Merlin cleared his throat uncomfortably and was relieved when Morgana interrupted the awkward silence.

"Arthur, you need to find your father. He's searching the whole town for your kidnappers." She told him. "I told him you'd gone on a hunting trip but he didn't believe it. He said I'd been fooled by the sorcerers that took you."

"I'll find him." Arthur told her.

Merlin, Morgana and Gwen followed him out of the room and down to the throne room.

Uther was pacing the floor when they entered. He looked up and froze when he saw his son.

"Arthur." He said.

"Father, you must stop this search." Arthur told him. "I wasn't kidnapped by sorcerers. Merlin and I went out on a hunting trip. I should've told you but it was a spur of the moment thing."

"If you weren't taken, how do you explain the damage to your chambers?" Uther asked.

"That I cannot explain." He answered. "But I'm home now, you must call off the guards. I will not see innocent people have their homes turned upside-down any longer."

"Fine, I'll call off the search." Uther nodded. "But I still believe an act of magic was performed in that room."

Arthur knew his father wouldn't be persuaded to change his mind so he bowed out of the room and went back to his room.

Morgana left him to get some rest and disappeared with Guinevere to her own room.

The Prince told Merlin to go home and take the rest of the day off.

"Gaius must be worried about you." He said.

"Thank you Sire." Merlin smiled before leaving.

Arthur collapsed onto his bed and sighed as he reflected on his time in that strange world. Like Merlin had said, it was noisy but it was so much more exciting than Camelot. Those strange boxes on wheels taking you anywhere you wanted to go. The food, the beer. Gwen. She was beautiful and unlike any girl he'd met. He would miss her, a lot. When he thought of taking a wash, he longed to be under the hot spray of the shower. But no matter how much he loved it in that strange place, he didn't think he could ever leave Camelot for good.

When Merlin entered the home he shared with Gaius, he smiled at the familiar surroundings.

The physician looked up from a book he was reading and stood up quickly.

"Merlin. Where have you been?" He demanded. "I've been out of my mind worrying about you. Then all this nonsense about Arthur being kidnapped started. I assume you were with him. What happened?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Merlin replied.

"Well, whatever happened...I'm glad you're home." Gaius told him.

Merlin grinned as Gaius began to laugh. He pulled the younger boy into a hug and clapped him on the back.


End file.
